Women in advancing stages of pregnancy typically suffer from discomfort due to a number of sources often resulting in a reduced ability to sleep. Current medical advice is for pregnant women to sleep on their side after the 18th week of pregnancy, as opposed to sleeping on their back, particularly sleeping on the left side. More particularly, curling up or stretching out on your side, preferably with one leg crossed over the other with a pillow positioned between the legs, is recommended. Sleeping on your back can result in the increasingly growing uterus pressing on major arterial vessels possibly resulting in a decreased blood supply for both the mother and the baby. Furthermore, proper positioning and support for the abdomen enhances kidney function and a resultant improved elimination of waste and, therefore, less fluids and less swelling of the ankles, feet and hands.
It is often difficult for a pregnant woman to sleep and rest during the latter stages of pregnancy. While there are many reasons for this difficulty, one of the principal reasons given by pregnant women and their physicians is the inability of a pregnant woman to comfortably support her expanded abdomen while lying in bed during the latter stages of pregnancy. And, of course, as a pregnant woman approaches full term pregnancy, expansion of her abdomen occurs at a faster rate and it becomes increasingly more difficult for her to obtain the sleep and rest which she requires. Unfortunately, this occurs at a time when the pregnant woman's physician is prescribing increased sleep and rest for the benefit of both the pregnant woman and her unborn child.
In the past, a pregnant woman's only practical alternative was to sleep and rest lying flat on her back during the latter stages of pregnancy. But, it is well known that many people are in the habit of sleeping and resting on either their right side or their left side. It is also well known that one's sleeping and resting habits are usually formed during early childhood. Often a pregnant woman who has been accustomed to sleeping and resting on her side since early childhood cannot comfortably sleep and rest on her back during the latter stages of pregnancy.
Therefore, there is a need for a means for supporting a woman's stomach and legs so she can sleep on her side during pregnancy. However, any such support should be stable so that once positioned, it will remain in position so any support will be more than transitory.